Living with cancer is one of the hardest things that anyone can do, so when you’re declared cancer-free it can feel like the biggest celebration in the world. You have that bone-deep relief flowing through you, and every second of your day is so much brighter because you no longer have this terrifying cancer weighing down on your thoughts or body. 

Surviving cancer, of course, can come with its scars. If you’re a breast cancer survivor and have had either one or both of your breasts removed to save your life, the trade-off can initially feel well worth it. In fact, it will always feel worth it. 

That doesn’t mean you cannot mourn your chest, or feel dysmorphic looking at yourself in the mirror. The good news is that there are ways to bounce back and even get your chest back, with these top options all available to you (and typically taken as steps): 

Get a Mastectomy Bra 

While you’re healing from your mastectomy, and while you’re saving up for a more effective treatment, you’ll want a mastectomy bra. These are usually worn by those who had a single mastectomy, as they work to hold both your natural breast and the prosthetic in place to give you the appearance of an even chest. These can help you feel more normal when going around town and prevent any single-sided back or shoulder pain that comes with an uneven chest. 

Breast Augmentation 

Many who undergo a mastectomy aim to get their breasts completely reshaped. Getting breast augmentation in Houston can mean a full breast reshape that gives you your old chest (or better) back. If you had a single mastectomy your surgeon will work on matching your new fake breast with your original one. If you had a double, then the sky is the limit, and you can finally get the chest you’ve always dreamed about. 

Getting Your Nipples Back 

Mastectomies typically include nipple removal, and getting your nipple back can be a challenge. Typically, the nipple is recreated using a mixture of donor skin from elsewhere on your body to mimic the look of the nipple. The areola is then tattooed in to darken it to make it appear like a traditional nipple. 

You can alternatively get the nipple tattoos directly on, so that it looks like it’s there, but is flat to the touch. For some, you may not want your nipple returned at all, and are happy to have a nipple-less breast even after breast reshaping. 

How to Address the Scars 

The scars are another consequence of beating cancer that can cause their own emotional scars, which is why it’s important to know how to deal with them. 

First, you need to properly care for them using skin and scar creams. Regularly caring for them by keeping them hydrated, and gently exfoliating, can do wonders towards reducing the appearance of the scars outright. For some, they learn to become neutral or even happy about the scars once they start to fade, for others, however, more steps will need to be taken. 

Once your scars have healed fully you will have more options. If you’re someone who loves tattoos, for example, you may want to go there. Not only can you get a nipple tattooed for realism purposes, you can also go and get some beautiful artwork to cover up your scars or incorporate them in a beautiful, meaningful way.